


The Snowman Sculpted With Care

by Brawler64Brandon



Series: DR: Penultimates - Fanfics [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Danganronpa: The Penultimate Students, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Original Character(s), Short, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Summer Camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29047929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brawler64Brandon/pseuds/Brawler64Brandon
Summary: [Non-Killing Game AU - Mild Spoilers Warning for Chapter Three of Danganronpa: The Penultimate Students]It's game night at the Talent Camp for Penultimate Students, and Shiori Miura has gathered her close friends for several rounds of fun. Gorou Ishikawa, however, doesn't seem to quite be feeling it today and isn't willing to share why. Can his friends convince him to let them help?
Relationships: Ishikawa Gorou & Miura Shiori & Iwaka Isao & Hatsume Kashie & Ohara Rika & Mitsugi Hideyo, Shiori Squad
Series: DR: Penultimates - Fanfics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2131068
Kudos: 3





	The Snowman Sculpted With Care

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Danganronpa: The Penultimate Students](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17213882) by [Glass_Lady](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glass_Lady/pseuds/Glass_Lady). 



> Mild Spoilers Warning for Chapter Three of Danganronpa: The Penultimate Students. I repeat, Mild Spoilers for Chapter Three of DR: The Penultimate Students.

Even now, this far into the night, he's still not sure how he got talked into doing this with these people. 

"Hey, Isao, truth or dare?"

"Well, uh, I guess I'll do truth?"

Think it was Shiori who talked him into it, thinking back. Somehow that girl has a way of convincing him into doing this kind of stuff, so it makes sense.

"Hmm... Oh, here's one! What was your most awkward date?"

"Oh boy... Hideyo, no!"

"Hideyo, yes yes!"

Gorou Ishikawa let out a chuckle, a small smile on his face as he watched the small group of people gathered around him. Shiori Miura, leader of the "Shiori Squad" as new member Rika Ohara has grown fond of calling their little group, had managed to convince them to gather up for a little game night on the floor in one of the girl's cabins. Guess it wasn't too difficult, considering they just had to convince Akiko to swap beds with Shiori for the night since Kashie, Rika and Hideyo already slept in this one.

They started off with some board games such as Clue, then it swapped to card games once they got tired of them. Somehow, it has since changed from that to the classic sleepover game known as Truth or Dare.

Luckily no-one has gone too crazy with the dares or questions so far despite good ol' Hideyo Mitsugi having put her best into getting that going. Gorou's surprised Rika hasn't joined her in that yet. To be fair, though, it might be due to her having never played the game before too.

As he listens to Isao Iwaka attempt to talk his way out of speaking about his dating life, Gorou brings a hand to his mouth to cover a yawn, feeling sleepy. Not sure how a game where he, a snow sculptor, going up against a writer, a public speaker, a gladiator, a painter, and a danseur could leave him tired, but apparently this one has. Though that would mean that it was about time for him to go to bed, he knew that wasn't the case for him. It rarely ever was.

Damn insomnia. Gorou was pretty sure he barely got fifteen hours of sleep throughout the past week. ...Or was it ten? Ah, didn't matter. Either way, he was left feeling drowsy with no way to fix it. That nightmare from a few nights back didn't really help either, interrupting some of the little sleep he got. Guess it's another night of walking around camp or staring at the ceiling until morning for him.

Gorou grumbled and sighed as he rubbed at his eyes, already annoyed with the idea. What he didn't realize was one of his friends had taken notice of his actions.

"Gorou? Um, are you getting tired?" Kashie Hatsume had blinked in surprise, the very tall girl staring concerningly at the much shorter boy.

"Huh? What?" Gorou blurted, the question bringing him out of his thoughts. Noticing the look Kashie was giving him, as well as the curious ones from the other girls (while Isao just seemed relieved he got out of the 'truth' for the time being), Gorou quickly frowned.

Gorou knew those looks, the looks of concern and wonder. He was glad his friends were good people that wanted to check on him, but he really didn't need it. Best try to calm them down before they decide to go digging into it.

Providing what was probably a rather tired smile admittedly, Gorou waved a hand at them, shaking his head. "Nah, no, I'm fine. Really. What? A guy can't yawn every once in a while?"

"I mean, you can, yeah. But if you're tired, then you should probably get some sleep." Shiori frowned, looking a bit concerned.

Gorou internally cursed himself as Shiori was already picking up on something being wrong. Just great, lovely. Was it something he said or him moving weird in which he hadn't noticed himself?

He didn't have time to wonder as Kashie turned to the rest of the group. A hand on her chin as a thought occurred to her. "Gorou has always gone to bed after us and is almost always awake before us, right? Does he really ever sleep?"

Isao shrugged, rubbing his neck. "I think he periodically makes a whirring noise and then just shuts down, personally." He chuckled.

"Ooooh! So does that mean that Gorou is part robot, then?" Rika chirped, looking excited at the idea of having a half-robot pal to hang out with.

"Guys, I'm sitting right here," Gorou grumbled, trying to interrupt their little chat. Quickly before Rika can get time to think of a way to test out if he was a robot. "Besides, I'm fine. Maybe I don't get as much sleep as you all do, but it's all good."

He barely had to look at Shiori to notice the contemplating stare she was sending his way before she spoke up. "Alright... Hey Gorou, truth or dare?"

Huh? Wasn't it Isao's turn to give one? Actually, it was probably still Hideyo's turn as he hadn't done his truth yet. Whichever the case, that fact didn't stop Shiori, and Gorou didn't like where this was going before he hesitantly answered. "Truth."

"How many hours have you slept this week?" Shiori inquired.

And he was right to not like it. Oh boy... Well, this is going to go well, won't it?

Gorou glanced to the side, thinking of how to respond before saying. "Actually, think I'll go with dare instead."

"Go to sleep," Shiori replied instantly, a disappointed expression on her face, quickly putting down Gorou's attempt to get out of it.

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks for the offer." Gorou shook his head, loosely crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't think I like this game anymore." He nervously chuckled, starting to feel a bit anxious as he noticed their friends look at him with concern. Please, stop guys, he really doesn't need this.

Shiori herself started to appear concerned, scooching across the floor to be a bit closer to him. "Gorou, what's wrong?"

Oh god, that look in her eyes. Just fight it snow boy, don't let her crack you. "It's nothing."

"Just tell me." She was insistent.

"Why do you need to know so badly?" Gorou questioned back. He still looked as grumpy as he always did on the outside, but on the inside he was starting to sweat a bit. The stares of the five before him slowly getting to him.

Shiori smiled at him gently. "So I can cheer you up, of course!"

"It's not your job to cheer me up." He pointed out, sticking up a finger for emphasis.

"Yes, it is. As your leader, cheering you up is my job." She stated with determination in her eyes. She was ready to get to the bottom of what was going on with her friend.

"Well then, you're fired." Gorou tried, a nervous grin on his face. He was quickly running out of ideas for how to stop her.

That made Shiori pause before she asserted. "You can't fire me, Gorou. You can't fire the person that you agreed to let be the leader. Besides, firing me wouldn't stop my concern for you." 

That was true, Gorou had to admit. And it's not like he could say he quits either for that same reason, not that he had even considered doing so. That would be going too far just to hide his inner feelings.

Shiori sighed before giving him a questioning look. "Can't you just tell me what's wrong? Please? For me?" She asked, holding a friendly hand out towards him.

Grk! Oh boy, now Gorou remembers how Shiori convinced him to be part of game night. "D-Don't do that." He stammered, 

Confusion crossed Shiori's face, bringing her hands together on her lap as she tilted her head. "What?"

"Y-You think every time you say, 'Please? For me?', I'll just do whatever you want, right?" Gorou shook his head with certainty. "Well, not this time."

Shiori opened her mouth to defend herself before shutting it as if she realized that she has done that before. Gorou couldn't help but feel regret as she looked to the floor, uncertain how to continue, knowing that she was just trying to help out. He was about to open his mouth and apologize when...

"Please? For me?"

Gorou stopped, his words pausing in his throat before he turned to who spoke up. Kashie was now next to him, with a similar concerned look on her face, but also one that didn't seem willing to back off. Fitting of someone going into public speaking, even one as easily anxious as Kashie usually was. "I-I..." He began in a whisper, no ideas coming to mind on how to go against someone like her.

"How about me, bud?" Isao offered, trying to sound friendly as he waved a hand to Gorou. Providing the shorter boy with another reminder that it wasn't just him and Shiori in the room.

"Yes, yes! I'd like to make sure you're doing alright as well, so please do share!" Hideyo pipped in, clapping her hands together.

"Me too! You can't just ignore all of us, Gorou!" Rika chimed in, beaming at him. "Come on, we're just trying to show we care about you!"

He knew that. Gorou knew that's what they wanted, but even then, he just couldn't accept that they did. After going so long without people who cared for him, it was still hard for him to accept that there were still people who did out there, let alone that five of them were all in the same room as him at that moment.

And yet, looking at the faces of those around him, with Shiori herself now looking back at him hopefully, he knew he couldn't really hide it away for any longer. With a tired sigh, he crossed his arms and nodded. "Okay... Alright, I'll talk."

The group went quiet with that, still concerned but also providing reassuring looks and smiles, giving him the chance to take his time to get his thoughts in order. He was definitely thankful for at least that, none of them being the types to go poking him under he broke.

"I..." Gorou took in a deep breath, bringing a hand to his temple and trying to get through the grogginess his brain was buried in. "I...I just want a break, honestly."

"A break?" Kashie echoed, confused. "A break from what?"

"Living," Gorou answered. At their wide-eyed and worried looks, he raised a hand to stop them as he could already see Shiori opening her mouth. "Don't. I'm fine, really, so don't worry. It's just... my insomnia and various memories from before this camp kicking in all at once, that…” He sighed, slipping his hat off and brushing a hand through his hair.

“it's just tiring, okay? I can't even get any sleep to help escape it, so...yeah, I got problems going on in my head right now, alright? So I'm hoping to distract myself from them until they go away." He stated, knowing Shiori had good reason to worry considering his past, not that he’d tell her for as long as he could.

Gorou had to keep strong, he just had to. Can’t let them see the anxious boy hiding within him. He just had to ignore the itches from the bandages around his left wrist, that’s all.

"What's...wrong with you, exactly?" Isao coaxed, both him and Hideyo looking worried.

Gorou, seeing bits of understanding appear on the faces of Shiori, Kashie, and Rika, quickly remembered the two hadn't been there for an earlier chat they had. This chat where the three girls, alongside their counselor, Reijirou Saiki, got him talking about his past.

Racking his brain for an easy answer, Gorou replied. "Off the top of my head... I'd say low self-esteem, a lack of paternal affection, and a genetic predisposition for anxiety and depression."

"Let's just say that I was being raised in a family with two oldest brothers who went on to become 'Ultimates' in their own ways. Add in parents who cared more about the fame that came with it than the sons who weren't making the family famous, and you got a combo that wasn't the best to live in." Gorou sighed, bringing his knees up to his chest and hugging them. "Especially when the youngest is forced to run away to his aunts' place at around eleven-years-old when his own talent starts kicking in."

Rika looked like she had something to say but was surprisingly hesitant with her usual going straight to the point nature. Guess she knew how delicate the topic was, so she decided to ask carefully. "How depressed have you been feeling, Gorou?"

"Depressed? I..." Gorou paused, not sure how to put it before deciding on a way that made him snicker a little and that he knew Rika would understand. "I don't care anymore if my foot hangs over the bed where a monster can get it."

"Holy shit..." She whispered, bringing her hands to her mouth in horror. That reaction led to a gasp and shocked expression from Hideyo, while Gorou couldn't help but cackle. He wasn't expecting that, but to get something like it from Rika of all people almost made this conversation worth it.

The laugh came to a quick stop when he noticed movement on his other side with suddenly something wrapping around his body tightly. "Wha- Huh? Oi, what are you...?" He muttered, realizing they were a pair of arms before looking over his shoulder at their owner.

Kashie smiled gently down at him, hugging him close as she let out a light giggle. "Don't mind me, they're just emotional jumper cables. Just had to attach like so."

"But, uh... this is just a hug." Gorou pointed out, almost coming out as a whisper as he was not really sure how to react to the sudden hugging. His body had kind of froze up, gone rigid in panic from this new situation he was in. Was he supposed to hug back? Try to escape from it? Just accept it?

"Perhaps, but is it working?" She coaxed him, tilting her head a bit with a hopeful smile.

"It, uh, it..." Gorou swallowed, blushing a bit as his eyes flickered around nervously, uncertain how to feel about it.

It's... it's been too long since his last hug. When was the last time someone did something like this to him? Was the last time when he last saw his brother Shirou? He can't even remember.

But... even though he wasn't used to it, he couldn't deny the feelings that came from the hug. The warmness in his heart and this momentary safety it gave him like nothing could hurt him like this. For once in a long time, he felt like he could actually relax with no issue...and that confused him deeply. Despite that confusion, however, it didn't change the fact that he didn't want those feelings to leave.

Slowly and hesitantly, he let himself melt into the hug, leaning against Kashie. "...Yeah. Yeah, it is." He finally answered with a relaxed sigh.

Almost immediately following his words, he could feel another pair of arms wrap around him. He could only stare at the grinning face of the pink-haired girl shoving her face into his side with how tight of a hug she was giving. "The world owes you a lot of hugs, Gorou! And guess what, we're gonna give them to you!" Rika beamed, her green eyes shining with excitement.

"Oh boy..." Gorou could only murmur in response as the other three quickly joined them, more or less dogpiling the tiny snow sculptor with hugs. Though he did try to struggle against it, as it didn't feel right to not at least put in a little bit of a fight. In the end, though, he didn't really do much in keeping them from overwhelming him and making him the middle of a cuddle pile.

Now trapped with the combined body heat surrounding him, he couldn't help but start to feel a bit sleepy from the warmth of his friends. He hadn’t realized it, but he was starting to tear up a bit at that moment. Thankfully, none of them were the type to point it out to him, letting Gorou come out of this with one thing. Instead, they only responded to his tears with stronger hugs, making sure that he felt loved and cared about.

"Whenever you hug someone who needs it..." He could hear Shiori's voice next to him, but his eyes seemed more focused on shutting than looking at her. "You should always let them pull away before you do, since after all, that hug may be all there is that's helping them keep going."

"Makes sense..." He yawned, his head starting to dip a bit, but not before he could get one more thing out. "But what if both people do that? Wouldn't they be trapped in hug purgatory or something?"

"I don't see what's wrong with that, no no." Hideyo giggled on his other side, and that was the last thing he heard before everything went dark.

* * *

Hours later, Gorou wakes up and finds himself now on his back, looking up at the ceiling. He blinks, confused as it didn't match with what he had just been doing.

He makes a slight attempt to get up just to find himself being weighed down by a few things. One of which being the obvious Rika, who had at some point grabbed tightly onto his arm in her own sleep and was now cuddling it along with her stuffed bear Mr. Green. Hideyo laid on her other side, snoring lightly as one of her arms laid on top of Rika and Gorou both, holding them in a loose hug of sorts.

Then there were Isao's legs holding down his torso and keeping him from getting to his feet even if Gorou did escape from Rika and Hideyo's grasp. Glancing over showed the danseur using his own arm as a pillow, his glasses on the floor by him. Shiori, meanwhile, laying on her back between him and Gorou. Her occasionally moving a bit every now and then as if to get into a more comfortable position. It took him a moment, but he soon noticed that she had one of her arms around one belonging to either boy, hugging them to her chest.

Speaking of torsos, Gorou could feel his own head laying on someone's, given the slight movements of their breathing under it. Not only that, but he could feel someone's hand in his hair like they had been lightly brushing it to help keep him relaxed and get him to sleep easier. Given how he could see everyone else, he could only assume that the hand and body behind him belonged to Kashie. With the tall girl making herself into a pillow for him and anyone else laying close by.

Gorou could only listen to the sounds of his friends sleeping around him. With all five of the others surrounding him and holding down in various ways, he could just barely move though he's not sure he would even want to at this point.

He'd never tell them about it, and he was glad it was something he could quiet on when they got him talking earlier, but that nightmare he had a few nights ago. It was about all of them. He had witnessed his fear that they would all come to realize the mistake they made in becoming friends with him, that he really was not someone worth caring for, and that they'd leave him. Leave him to be all alone again, just like he had been before he came to this camp. Before...before Shiori came along and pulled him into this little squad of hers.

...But looking around now, seeing all of them still there? Showing they were there for him even in their sleep? They really did care for him. They cared for his health, cared for his feelings...cared for his life... Gorou can't deny anymore that he had people who really cared for him, and knowing that, how could he not keep going through life?

He could feel a few tears rolling down his cheeks, but he ignored them. They were tears of joy, no good reason for messing with them. Taking a deep breath, Gorou laid his head back down and let himself relax. Letting himself get some sleep after a long time.

And he didn't need to wait until morning to know that it was going to be the best sleep he has had in years.

**Author's Note:**

> Remember, Out of Character is Serious Business. Remember that whenever your energetic happy Rika's swear or your grumpy, witty Gorou's open up with their feelings.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and hope you all enjoyed! I do hope anyone who enjoys this will also check out the original Penultimate Students fic. Glass_Lady has done a great job with it so far, and I'm excited to see how it continues to go. Hopefully if you haven't read it yet (though I hope you did considering certain things mentioned here), this will help interest you into checking it out!
> 
> You can read Danganronpa: The Penultimate Students at the following:  
> On Ao3 - https://archiveofourown.org/works/17213882/  
> On FFN - https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12906903
> 
> Also, there is a Discord Server for the story that this one was based on. Link to the Server is below. Please consider joining as we always love to see more people!  
> https://discord.gg/P9BSBdp


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